The joint operation began in September 2006, and involved approximately 100 purchases of controlled substances from 37 suspects. The purchases were made near Estate Glynn, Estate Profit, Downtown Frederiksted, Estate Campo Rico, Estate Western Suburb, Sunday Market Square, and Canegata Ball Park.

DEA Special Agent in Charge Harris stated: “Community involvement is key in ridding neighborhoods and protecting our children from dangerous drugs. These arrests represent how successful we can be when the community get involved. I applaud the community’s efforts.”

Commissioner McCall stated: “Governor deJongh and I have pledged to work closely with the Federal government to address illegal activity in the Territory. This operation is a fruit of that effort.”

United States Attorney Jenkins and Attorney General Frazer said that this operation is intended to demonstrate to those who would deal drugs on the streets of the Virgin Islands that they would not do so with impunity. Jenkins and Frazer said that drug dealing on the streets brings blight to those areas and creates great danger to the citizens of the community and visitors. They said that both federal and territorial law enforcement agencies will move aggressively against those who would destroy the safety of the community.

The National Drug Intelligence Center has reported that cocaine and crack cocaine remain a significant drug threat to the Virgin Islands. These drugs are commonly abused and cause great harm to those who abuse drugs as well as their families. Criminal groups, which are often loosely associated, remain the principal retail-level distributors of cocaine and crack cocaine and those groups should take notice that their conduct will be prosecuted, Jenkins and Frazer said. These retail distributors represent a serious threat to the health and welfare of Virgin Islanders, contribute to a higher level of violence and endanger Virgin Island youth in particular as they present easy access to cocaine and crack cocaine and they further drug abuse.

Jenkins and Frazer said that this operation is intended as a local-impact, tactical response to address this retail-distribution crime problem. It is part of the greater overall strategic drug enforcement operations which have resulted in the prosecution of higher level organizations and dealers utilizing wiretaps and undercover investigations.

Jenkins and Frazer said they are committed to a strong cooperative local and federal enforcement approach to crime in the territory.

If you have drug-related information and wish to report it, you can do so by calling the HIDTA Task Force at 692-9500 in St. Croix and 774-2398 in St. Thomas. Your information will be kept confidential at your request.

U.S. Attorney Jenkins reminds the public that an arrest is not evidence of guilt, and that, as in all criminal cases, all those charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.